POTG Twitter Feed

Breaking Predator News from SportSpyder.com

Breaking NHL News

Other Predator Blogs

Other Hockey Blogs

Friends of POTG Blogs

POTG Supports the Coyotes Staying in Phoenix

Social Media Blogs

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Back in the Saddle: Thanks for All the Thoughts and Prayers:

There are few thing I dislike more than hanging around a hospital, which is what I did for about a day and a half with my wife who was thought to have had a heart attack, then a blockage, and finally "we may never know".

She and I made it home last night and were totally worn out from the whole ordeal and we knew no more than when she went to the hospital on Tuesday other than the fact that heart problems were ruled out.

We really appreciate everyone's thoughts and prayers over the last couple of days. We received well over a hundred, Tweets, Facebook comments and emails from folks expressing their concern. It is amazing what a great bunch of folks that I've gotten to know through social networking over the last couple of years and how they respond when something serious happens.

So once again, thanks to everyone being so kind and sending the positive thoughts.

While killing time at the hospital, I spent the better part of Wednesday, following the tweets of about seven or eight court room tweeters and once again you could almost get that "being there" feeling. My favorite tweet was that Bettman and Ballsillie were seen shaking hands in the hallway on the way to the restroom.

Anyway, at the end of the day, I can't see where much was decided. Probably the biggest change was Ballsillie's new capitulation that maybe he would play only half a season in Hamilton. So much for the September 14 deadline.

Judge Baum expanded the September tenth hearing to also include the eleventh. The NHL also upped the proceeds of their bid by agreeing to give the proceeds from a possible relocation sale back to the creditors.

In a very timely development, Forechecker rejiggered his super schedule to show the change that Hamilton would make in the miles traveled per team. There was a lot of talk at one point in the hearing about additional travel and none of the "facts" being thrown about were anywhere close to Dirk's accurate production.

A lot has happened in Nashville since I last checked in. The best news was the signing of Cal O'Reilly to a bargain basement two-way contract that will get him in camp on time to start the season. He was the last piece of the Pred's puzzle that was unsigned. The Predators played hardball in spite of O'Reilly possibly playing in Europe if he did not receive a one-way contract.

The biggest, non-Phoenix news on Wednesday was the signing of Roberto Luongo to a twelve-year $64 million extension of his contract. I think this type of deal is totally absurd and should be an affront to any reasonable person trying to put together a competitive team in the NHL. It's all about spreading the cap hit into years when Luongo will be well past his prime, up to age 43. The $10 million amount that goes to Roberto in 2010-11 is far more than any team should spend in goal.

Before the Phoenix hearing in Phoenix, Eugene Melnyk spoke out on the bizarre nature of Jim Balsillie in the National Post. It also reveals that the same group approached him about moving the Senators to Hamilton six years ago.

One of my My Other Gigs

Discount Predator Tickets from POTG

PredsOnTheGlass has partnered with the Nashville Predators to bring you special discount pricing on tickets to every game. Follow this link and click on the game tickets that you want and then enter the special offer code preds to receive the best prices available directly from Ticketmaster.